10 weird gardening hacks that keep pests away and improve growth

Working in the garden can be time-consuming, especially if you’re having a hard time getting your plants and veggies to cooperate. But sometimes the best ideas come in the form of strange hacks, like the ones we’ve compiled in this list.

If you’re looking for a few ways to spruce up your gardening tricks, try one of these unusual tactics:

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1. Slow the spread of blight with pennies
Blight can ruin an entire crop in your garden. If you want to save your plants without turning to chemicals, Vegitate Gardening recommends slicing partway through an infected branch and inserting a pre-1983 penny into the slit. The copper should help slow the spread enough to harvest your crop.
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2. Keep melons safe with nylons
One of the best ways to grow melons is on a trellis because the height keeps pests and diseases away from the fruit. However, the weight can pull the melons off before they’re ripe. Keep melons on the branch longer by cutting a leg off an old pair of pantyhose and using it to create a sling for the melons, Rodale’s Organic Life recommends.

3. Keep pests at bay with milk jugs
Protect the environment and keep your plants safe from bugs and animals with used milk gallons. After washing the jug, cut off the bottom and place the top over new plants, covering the base with dirt.

4. Start seeds in a lemon peel
Keep your early seedlings safe, give them extra nutrients, and add more nutrients to the ground with a citrus fruit rind. Add a little dirt, and plant the seedling. Once it’s taken root, plant the entire thing in the ground. The fruit peel will eventually break down, adding more nutrients to your garden.

5. Keep dirt out of your nails
Before you head out to dig in the soil, run your nails over a bar of soap. The soap will add a buffer to block the dirt. Just rinse it all away when you’re done in the garden, It’s Overflowing recommends.

6. Keep slugs away with pennies
The penny is the star of the show in this article! Did you know slugs aren’t very fond of copper? Attach (pre-1983) pennies to a clean baseball or bowling ball with water-resistant glue and place it in your garden. It looks pretty and keeps your veggies safe!

7. Plant forks and keep deer and raccoons away
Nobody wants to step on a fork that’s been wedged into the ground. Ouch! Wedge the forks into the ground near young plants to keep noshers away. Just remember to watch where you step when you go out to feed your veggies!

8. Keep fungus away with cinnamon
One risk of transplanting flowers, fruits and plants is that there is a higher risk of fungus growth on the replanted roots. Protect the roots by dipping them in cinnamon before replanting.

9. Fertilize with coffee grounds
You can recycle used coffee grounds by adding them to your compost. The coffee helps with the alkaline levels of the soil and adds nutrients (like nitrogen) to the ground. Just don’t use fresh, unbrewed grounds because they contain too much caffeine, according to Angela Harris.

10. Grow roses in potatoes
Take rose cuttings and insert them into a potato. Then bury the potato in the ground and watch your roses bloom. The potatoes help keep the plant moist while it grows. Check out the full tutorial from Amateur Gardening.

Feeling a little creative in the garden? Try one of these tricks, and don’t forget to share them with your friends on Facebook.